


Need It the Most

by rougeandtonic



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: A little bit of angst, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bodyswap, Fluff and Angst, Insecure Katsuki Yuuri, M/M, almost all fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-17
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-10-06 13:02:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10335308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rougeandtonic/pseuds/rougeandtonic
Summary: In which Victor and Yuuri switch places right before the Sochi GPF free skate.-----------------Victor had never thought he would be desperate enough for his soul to call out so strongly to its mate that they literally switched bodies.But, apparently, he is.And, whoever this Japanese skater is whose soul had called back out to Victor's, Victor is going to love him and take care of him and give him everything he deserves.Starting with the skating he deserves.





	

_Iceberg Skating Palace, Sochi, Russia_

It's double vision at first, the rink below splitting into two --

\-- the view of the crowd above splitting into two. Then flashes of rink-crowd-rink --

\-- crowd-rink. An explosion of a headache and a --

\-- burst of light behind the eyes --

\-- and then Victor is looking up at the crowd.

It doesn't make sense. He's supposed to be sitting in the stands next to Chris. Except now he's on the ice, hands grasping the top of the boards, white ruffles around his wrists and that Italian coach is talking to him.

He looks back up at the stands and... yes, he is still sitting there. He's seen himself in enough mirrors and televisions and photographs that he'd recognize himself anywhere: Silver hair, blue eyes, red and white team suit, terrified expression.

To be fair, that last part is new.

He glances down at himself. He's wearing some kind of shiny blue jacket. Was this what that Japanese skater who had just taken the ice had been wearing? Victor honestly hadn't been paying much attention. He had only come to watch the first group's free skates because he had nothing better to do.

The longer he looks down at himself, the odder it feels. His body looks narrower than he's used to. His hands are smaller. Are his feet smaller, too?

Is he in that Japanese skater's body right now? Is the Japanese skater in his body? Is this--

Victor glances back up at his own body.

\--is this the Switch?

 

Yuuri stares down at the ice. He can see himself still standing at the boards with Celestino. His own eyes, behind his own glasses, stare back up at him.

They Switched. Yuuri Switched. With someone. He looks down at the body he's in. He'd never mistake it for his own. It's a man's body, but the limbs are too long, the hands too pale. He doesn't own a red and white warm-up suit.

Yuuri stands up abruptly. Only to stumble over his own feet and fall back into his seat. A voice from beside him is saying something, but he can't hear over the ringing in his ears.

He tries to stand again, but this time whoever is in his body gestures for him to stay put. Yuuri shakes his head at him. But then watches his own lips curve into a smirk.

Whoever is down there winks at him.

 _Winks_.

Yuuri gulps.

"I know Yuuri didn't make the best impression yesterday," the voice next to him says. Yuuri glances at him--at Christophe Giacometti. "But he's not normally that bad. We all know you're The Victor Nikiforov but you could at least stay and pretend to be interested."

Yuuri looks back at the ice where the man in his body is talking to Celestino.

"I guess I am. Staying. And watching," Yuuri says. His voice comes out in a very different accent than he's used to hearing.

And then it hits him. He turns his head sharply to Chris. "What did you just call me?"

 

Victor gestures at the Japanese skater currently in his body to sit back down. When he sees him open his mouth to object, he winks back at him.

How many people, after all, get to do something this romantic when they Switch with their soulmate?

He starts to turn away when the other man's coach says, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Victor frowns. Do they have some sort of ritual before competing? A good luck sign or handshake that there is no chance Victor can imitate?

But, no, the coach is holding out his hand.

"Glasses," he says.

Victor reaches up to his face and, yes, apparently he is wearing glasses. He takes them off and--okay. He can't see. He glances up at the stands and can only make out a blur of white hair-red jacket where he'd last seen his own body.

"I'm actually going to keep them on this time." He replaces them on the bridge of his nose. His voice comes out in a different accent, but it's still English, at least.

"They're going to fall off and break during your first spin," the coach tells him, still holding out his hand. "I have offered many times to get you contacts, you know."

"Right," Victor says. And sighs. He hands them over and looks back at the rink. At least he's able to make out the shape of it well enough to not skate into the boards. He supposes he doesn't need to read the advertisements or see every individual face in the crowd. Though it would have been nice to be able to see his own soulmate watching.

He feels a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Whatever happens," the coach says. "I'm proud of you. You made it to the Grand Prix Finals once and you can make it here again next year."

As motivational speeches go, it's distinctly lacking. Victor would go with something more like, 'If you don't get yourself out of sixth place, I'll take responsibility by resigning as your coach.'

But it's not like it matters right now.

"Don't be surprised if I do something different this time," Victor tells him.

"What?"

Victor had never thought this would happen to him. Had never thought he would be desperate enough for his soul to call out so strongly to its mate that they literally switched bodies.

But, apparently, he is.

And, whoever this Japanese skater is whose soul had called back out to Victor's, Victor is going to love him and take care of him and give him everything he deserves.

Starting with the skating he deserves.

 

So, naturally, Victor stumbles and falls down.

Apparently, skating in someone else's body takes getting used to.

When Victor tries again, however, he manages to keep his balance. And, by the time he makes it across the rink, he's almost comfortable in this other man's skates.

"I have a special request for you," he announces as he skates up to the judges. "A minor change in my program."

When Victor takes his position in the center of the ice, he hears, "And, first up is Yuuri Katsuki from Japan."

Yuuri Katsuki.

Yuuri Katsuki is his soulmate.

The music starts.

 

"Isn't that your free skate music?" Chris asks.

"Apparently," Yuuri mumbles as he rubs at his knee. There's an ache there he isn't used to feeling. He recognizes the starting pose for Victor's program. He just hasn't seen his own body in that position before.

"Ballsy move," Chris says. "You're all right with Yuuri skating your program? Did he ask you about it?"

"I--no, it's fine."

 

Victor learned the lesson from earlier, so he takes the first jump as a double instead of a triple. Which is fortunate, because he barely gets the height he needs for that and the landing still isn't solid.

He can feel the strength in Yuuri's body but the dynamics are different. Maybe it's just that he's shorter and his weight's centered lower in his body than Victor's used to.

He doubles the second jump, too. And there's another thing, Yuuri doesn't have the upper body strength that Victor has. He doesn't know what quads Yuuri has, but he probably has at least one to have made it here. So his lighter frame and strength in his lower body must make up for that.

On the third jump, Victor focuses on using his hips and thighs for the height and -- there it is -- he gets more than high enough to turn it into a triple.

The step sequences and spins that follow are easy. Yuuri's body seems to need little direction from Victor for those.

As he gets to the end, he finds he's not nearly as tired as he's used to. He might as well be barely halfway through the program for how his body's ready to keep going.

So, on impulse, he substitutes his final jump.

 

As much as he hates watching videos of himself skating, Yuuri has spent hours scrutinizing them frame by frame.

He's spent far more hours than that watching Victor's skating.

But Victor, skating in Yuuri's body, looks different than either of them. The first several jumps are unsure, landings less than steady. He starts to get the hang of it, though, and keeps better time with the music.

By the end, even the triple jumps are smooth. And that's when Yuuri sees Victor start to build up speed. Yuuri knows before it happens that Victor's going to try a quad in his body.

Yuuri is distantly aware of the sounds of shock and applause from the crowd.

"Since when can Yuuri do a quad flip?" Chris asks.

"I--uh." Yuuri knows this isn't good. Now people are going to expect him to be able to do a quad flip. So he points out, weakly, "He touched down?"

Chris raises an eyebrow at him. "Not so ready to give up your signature jump?"

"No, it's not that!" Yuuri says. "I just--I need--"

And he finds himself launching to his feet. He murmurs apologies as he steps past Chris and Michele, then runs down the steps as Victor skates towards the exit.

 

Victor stays in the final position for a few seconds. He's panting but not as tired as he should be. Yuuri is strong and vital and this body skates like it was made for it. There's no reason Yuuri should be in last place. There's no reason he shouldn't be challenging Victor for golds in every competition.

He lets go of his pose and looks out at the blurred crowd. He can't tell where Yuuri is except -- no, he can. He sees a red-white-silver-haired figure coming down the steps.

Victor can't wait to meet him.

He races for the exit and grabs Yuuri's blade protectors and glasses from the Italian coach without taking his eyes off Yuuri's -- his own -- figure slowly coming into focus.

Victor feels a grin splitting his face and he really wants to kiss Yuuri. It's a very odd impulse to want to kiss his own face. But he can't wait to see Yuuri back in his own body.

"Hi," Victor says, looking up at where his own body stands before him. He was right about Yuuri being shorter than him.

"Uh, hi?" Yuuri says. His wide-eyed expression is strange to see on his own face, but it's better than the horror from earlier.

"It's very, very nice to meet you, Yuur--" he stops himself from finishing the name. There are people who could be listening in, including--

"Victor, I apologize, I didn't realize Yuuri was planning to try to skate your program," Yuuri's coach says.

Yuuri's staring at Victor. Victor raises his eyebrows at him.

"It's, uh--okay?" Yuuri says, not sounding at all convincing as Victor, except for the accent.

Victor cuts in smoothly, assuring Yuuri's coach, "He gave me permission. You do like surprising people, right, Victor?"

"Right," Yuuri says quietly.

"We should go to the Kiss and Cry," Yuuri's coach says and hands him a black jacket. Victor catches the 'JSF' initials and he shrugs it on. Then he grabs Yuuri's arm, the sleeve of his own Olympic jacket under his hand. "Come with me?"

"I'm sure Victor has other things--"

"Yes," Yuuri interrupts. "I mean, yes. I'll come."

Victor tugs Yuuri down to sit next to him. Yuuri's coach gives them both a strange look as he sits down on Victor's other side.

Victor throws his arm around Yuuri's back. His own body seems bigger from the vantage of being in Yuuri's smaller one.

"People are staring," Yuuri whispers to Victor.

"Let them."

"Do you--do you want to kiss me now?"

"Not yet," Victor tells him softly.

Yuuri stiffens at his side. There's a strange tone in his voice when he says, "They're going to think we're together, anyways, sitting like this. I should wait for you somewhere else."

Victor pulls back to look at him and opens his mouth to ask what Yuuri means. But then the announcer comes on.

"Yuuri Katsuki's free skate score is 153.23 with a total score of 237.23. Yuuri Katsuki is now in first place."

"Well done, Yuuri," Yuuri's coach says, and claps him on the back as he stands up. "You need to go to the green room now."

"Give me a minute. Victor and I need to talk."

"What?" The coach's eyes flick over to Yuuri.

"Yes, we--talk. We need to talk," Yuuri stammers. Victor offers him a smile as they both stand up.

He leads Yuuri into a deserted hallway near the skaters' back room.

"We should kiss now," Yuuri says quickly. "No one will see back here--"

"No," Victor tells him.

"No?"

"Not yet."

"What? Don't you want to switch back?"

"Of course. I can't wait to see you," Victor says.

Yuuri frowns at him.

"Actually, I don't have to wait, do I?" Victor realizes. "Do you think there's a bathroom around here with a mirror? Or, you know what, better idea--"

He reaches into his own jacket but doesn't find anything. He frowns. Then realizes his own jacket is actually Yuuri's jacket. So he steps forward and reaches into the pocket of the jacket Yuuri's wearing and pulls out his phone.

"Take a picture of me. No, better idea, take a picture of us!" Victor steps close into his side. "You do it. Your arms are longer."

But Yuuri isn't doing anything but staring at him.

After a long, confusing moment, Yuuri says:

"You don't know what I look like?"

Yuuri looks sad and--oh. Oh, no. Of course Yuuri would know what Victor looks like. There probably isn't anyone in the skating world who doesn't. And Victor may have just admitted that he doesn't even know who Yuuri is.

"Mila thinks you're cute," Victor tells him desperately. At least he thinks so. Yesterday, she'd said that Yuri was очень симпатичный. At the time, Victor had been too disturbed to press for details, but that was when he thought there was only one Yuri. Victor adds, "And I know that Chris thinks you have an excellent--"

Yuuri turns and starts to leave, but Victor grabs his arm before he can stalk off.

"No. Wait, Yuuri. I'm sorry. I'm a jerk, okay? But I'm going to be better for you. I promise."

Yuuri just shakes his head, eyes trained on the ground. "You don't have to."

"What does that mean?" Victor demands.

Yuuri glances up. His blue eyes -- Victor's blue eyes -- are wet.

"I know I'm probably a disappointment," Yuuri says. "You should have had someone better. I'm just some dime-a-dozen Japanese skater. I shouldn't even be here on the same ice as you, let alone be your--I understand if you--I mean, you shouldn't feel obligated to be with me just because we're--"

"Yuuri, Yuuri, Yuuri, don't cry," Victor pleads as he watches a teardrop fall down his cheek. He pulls Yuuri closer. He feels a lot smaller than--himself--like this. So, instead of wrapping himself around Yuuri shoulders like he wants to, he throws his arms around his waist. "You're already the best thing that's ever happened. You're my soulmate. You could never be a disappointment. This is amazing!"

"Victor--"

"Come on, Yuuri, I dedicated my free skate to you, couldn't you tell?" Victor says. "I don't do that for just anyone."

Yuuri takes a deep breath. Then shakes his head.

"I think technically that was my free skate, actually."

Victor laughs and squeezes him tighter. He can feel Yuuri relax the smallest amount. Victor rests his forehead against his neck.

After a long moment of silence, Yuuri asks, "Why don't you want to switch back yet?"

"Oh, right! Because you need to skate my program for me." Victor pulls back with a grin.

"What? Why?" Yuuri asks, eyes widening.

"Well, it's only fair, isn't it?" Victor winks at him.

"Stop winking with my face." Yuuri frowns. "And, Victor, you're about to win your fifth consecutive Grand Prix Final. All I'll do is get you a low score. You won't even medal."

"Probably." Victor shrugs. "But you know when the Switch happens, right? When both soulmates need it the most?"

Yuuri averts his eyes. "Right."

"Do you think this would have happened right now if what I really needed was a fifth gold medal?"

 

Yuuri sits in the bottom row and leans down to tie the skates Yakov Feltsman, Victor's coach, had handed him. He's never spoken to Yakov but he's seen him at the competitions with Georgi Popovich before. He's been intimidated by him anyways. Yakov is saying something to him in Russian. But, even if Yuuri could understand, he's not in any condition to answer right now.

After Victor had left for the green room, taking his enthusiasm with him, Yuuri had found a restroom and stared at himself for a long time, trying to convince himself that this was just a dream. If it was a dream, then he'd wake up and his life might not be good but at least it would be familiar. At least he wouldn't have to wait around for Victor's inevitable rejection.

Which, as soon as Victor started to actually get to know him, would be inevitable.

And, maybe, if this was a dream, then Vicchan dying could be a dream, too.

Cao Bin had stepped into the restroom just as Yuuri had felt the panic attack coming on. Yuuri had hurried out without saying anything and managed to find a stairwell to collapse in.

The panic must have lasted a while because next thing he knew, he heard the announcement for the warmup for the final three skaters.

But, even now, his hands are shaking too hard to properly tighten the laces.

He suddenly sees a familiar-not-so-familiar black-haired figure come up to him.

"Hey," Victor says softly as he kneels before him. He takes the laces out of Yuuri's trembling hands. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Yuuri lies.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," Victor tells him. He starts fixing the laces. "It's okay. You can kiss me right now."

Yuuri takes a deep breath, and finds himself saying, "No. I want to."

He realizes it's true. If there's a chance Victor actually wants him as his soulmate, it would make for a good memory. How many people can say they had the Switch at all, let alone were able to skate in the Grand Prix Final for each other?

Victor's lips -- his own lips -- spread into a smile. God, it's not fair. Victor looks better in Yuuri's body than Yuuri ever has.

"All right," Victor tells him. He holds his hand out for Yuuri to help him up. He doesn't drop it, though, once Yuuri's standing. Instead, he laces their fingers together.

Yuuri can't remember the last time he's held hands with anyone. Now that he thinks about it, Victor has found a way to keep touching him ever since his free skate ended. A traitorous part of himself dares to wish that he'll get more of this.

A lot more of this.

Victor talks as he leads him to the rink entrance. "Take it slow at first. You'll have to adjust to a different body."

Yuuri nods.

"My center of gravity is higher than you're used to," Victor says. Then grins slyly and adds, "I don't have your amazing thighs."

Yuuri feels his cheeks flush.

"Victor, there isn't much time left for the warm-up."

"Right. Okay," Victor says. "You can't depend on your lower body as much for jump height as you're probably used to. But my upper body is stronger than yours, you can use your arms more for height."

"I'm going to fall and hurt you, aren't I?" Yuuri asks. "Are you sure you want me to--"

"You'll be fine," Victor says with more confidence than he should probably have. "Remember, Yuuri, at very worst you're the sixth top skater in the world. I don't know what happened yesterday, but I think you're probably even better than that. You can do this."

Yuuri stares at him. Victor squeezes his hand before releasing it.

"Now, go on." Victor urges him gently into the rink.

 

Victor is right. At first, Yuuri feels like he's going to fall just skating in a straight line. But, a logical part of his mind reminds him that, even if he does, he knows how to fall without hurting himself.

So, he just tries to ignore that everyone's eyes must be on him right now, wondering why Victor is skating like a nervous beginner.

It gets easier as he goes on. He starts a more serpentine path around JJ and Chris. Tries a bunny hop without a problem, then a single toeloop. A double loop and a double lutz. He tries for a triple right as the end of warm-up is announced. He stumbles on the landing but doesn't fall.

Victor's still there as he skates towards the exit. Yakov is walking back from the judges' station, looking a little exasperated but, oddly, not all that surprised to see what must look like Yuuri handing Victor his skateguards.

"I'll be back after Chris takes my place," Victor tells Yuuri softly. He runs a hand down Yuuri's upper arm. "Ask Yakov if you need anything, all right?"

"You're very sure I'll get kicked out of third place," Yuuri teases him, feeling his own lips curve up for the first time since they'd switched bodies. Actually, for the first time since they got to Sochi, if he's honest. Getting on the ice made him feel more grounded, even if it had been in Victor's body.

"Don't take offense, Yuuri, but I'm hoping so," Victor tells him, keeping his voice soft even as he laughs. "I don't want to spend any more time away from you."

"Oh," Yuuri says.

Victor gives his arm a squeeze before he walks away.

Yuuri sits down just as Chris skates to the center of the rink.

"They have your music queued up," Yakov tells him in English as he takes a seat next to him.

"Victor told you?"

"Victor's not always easy, you know," Yakov says. Then he shakes his head. "Hardly ever easy."

"Okay?"

"He's worth giving a chance to, though," Yakov tells him. "You're the first thing he's looked forward to in a long time."

"He might change his mind once he gets to know me," Yuuri says.

Yakov shakes his head. "Don't be dense, Katsuki. He's probably half in love with you already."

"But he doesn't know me."

On the ice, Chris is already in his finishing pose and Yuuri realizes he doesn't remember anything that just happened in his routine.

"Look, Katsuki, I'll tell you what Victor told me and you can decide if he knows you or not."

Yuuri bites his lip.

Yakov must take that as agreement somehow, since he continues, "He says you're shy and self-conscious and anxious -- and apparently he thinks that's adorable. He says you care about other people too much at your own expense. He says you're obviously determined and confident enough to have made it this far, though. Is he right?"

"Uh, I guess so." Yuuri is susprised that Victor got that much out of just a few minutes with him.

"He said he doesn't care what you look like," Yakov says. "But I told him you were exactly his type."

"What is his type?" Yuuri asks curiously.

"Isn't it exactly you? By definition of the word soulmate?"

Oh. Yuuri is starting to feel hope that Victor might end up liking him after all.

"Look, don't take it personally that Vitya didn't know who you were," Yakov tells him soberly. "He hasn't cared--or paid attention to--much else but his poodle lately."

Yuuri feels his chest tighten at that. But it's just then that that Victor drops down next to him and hugs his arms around Yuuri.

"Yuuuri," Victor-in-Yuuri's-body whines into his shoulder. "I missed you. Did you miss me?"

Yuuri opens his mouth. His first instinct to deflect the question. But he thinks about what Yakov said, about how unhappy Victor's been. And he thinks, the worst that can happen is his own embarrassment. The best is that it might make Victor a little bit happier.

So Yuuri says, seriously, "I think I've been missing you for a long time."

Victor pulls away, but leaves a hand on his back. He looks shocked and Yuuri steels himself. But instead of a rejection, or a laugh, Victor says, "Yuuri Katsuki, I really want to kiss you right now."

Yuuri can't help it. He giggles. "Then you'd have to skate your own program."

Victor pouts and says, "Fine."

Out on the ice, JJ's routine is starting. Yuuri, feeling empowered by the last few minutes, leans down to rest his head on Victor's shoulder. He traces a finger over the muscle of his leg.

"You have amazing thighs, you know that?" Victor says.

"Um, you did say something like that before," Yuuri tells him, feeling his cheeks heat again.

"I'm probably going to keep saying that. Every day. Multiple times a day," Victor says.

"And I, um, probably won't mind that," Yuuri confesses. He's staring out at the ice but not registering any of JJ's program.

Victor gives him a big grin. It looks unusual, but also oddly beautiful, on Yuuri's own face.

"Good," Victor says. And then holds out the hand that's not currently rubbing circles into Yuuri's back. "You have pretty hands, too. Your fingers are so cute."

"I didn't know fingers could be cute," Yuuri says.

"Neither did I," Victor says. "Your hand's going to look so good with a ring on it."

Before Yuuri can comprehend what that means, Victor continues.

"Oh, and your stomach." He lays his hand over his--Yuuri's--middle. "It's just a little bit soft--"

"Oh my god." Yuuri buries his face in his hands. "Please don't tell me that every day."

"Why?" Victor protests. "It feels so nice."

Yuuri drops his hands from his face, just in time to see JJ skating off the ice. His heart starts to pick up and he sits up straight. It's his turn as soon as the score is announced.

Victor rubs at his back again as if he can sense Yuuri's anxiety returning. But he doesn't talk about it, just says, sounding regretful, "That's all I can tell about how you look from here."

"Oh," Yuuri says. It seems odd, when Yuuri knows exactly what the body he's in looks like. He's been staring at photos of Victor Nikiforov on his walls for what seems like his whole life. "I'm nothing special, though. I don't want you to get your hopes up."

"Oh, Yuuri," Victor says, dropping his forehead onto Yuuri's shoulder. "I know you're wrong already. I'm going to have to tell you that every day, too."

The official standing next to the rink entrance gestures at him.

"Mr Nikiforov, you can enter the rink now."

"Go on," Victor tells him.

Yuuri nods nervously and takes off his skate guards. He hands them to Victor again and steps onto the ice.

Once he's on the ice, Yuuri sees Victor has joined Yakov over in the coaches' area. He seems oblivious to the strange looks he's getting, but Yuuri supposes they've both been getting looks like that all day.

Yuuri skates over to them.

"Don't skate too well," is Yakov's advice for him. "You'll create a scandal if you medal. Get Victor down to fourth at least."

Yuuri actually laughs a little, because that is not going to be a problem. Then he feels Victor grab his hand. He turns to him and Victor leans in, touching their foreheads together.

"Skate for me," Victor tells him. "Not for anyone else."

Yuuri meets his eyes. "Don't take your eyes off me, then."

 

Victor watches as Yuuri -- in Victor's body -- gets into his starting pose, silver hair falling over his eyes.

Yuuri's music starts playing.

The practice skate means that Yuuri doesn't falter at the beginning like Victor had. He's doubling his jumps and he travels on his spins. But Victor's seen plenty of footage of himself skating and he's never seen his body move so fluidly with the music before.

In the second half, Yuuri starts adding triples as he obviously grows in confidence. Victor realizes, as Yuuri gets into position for an axel for what is probably timed as the last jump of his program.

Yuuri touches down on the triple axel, just like Victor had on his quad flip, and it makes Victor laugh.

Yakov shoots him a look, but Victor's too busy running over to the rink entrance to respond.

The official looks stunned as Victor shoves his blade protectors at him. Yuuri is just lowering his arms and turning his gaze to the exit, when he spots Victor.

Victor grins and skates out onto the ice.

 

Yuuri watches wide-eyed as Victor-in-his-body skates towards him. He feels his eyes widen even more as he realizes Victor isn't slowing down fast enough. Before Yuuri can move to the side, Victor's grabbing him by the waist and twirling them around together. Luckily, Yuuri has played around with pairs moves with Yuuko and Phichit and is able to meet him in the spin.

Victor's grinning up at him with Yuuri's own face as they slow to a stop. Yuuri thinks the crowd is silent, or maybe that's just him unable to register anything but Victor here.  
He's about to ask what Victor's doing, when Victor's hands come up to cup his face. Yuuri leans forward and Victor leans up and --

Everything starts to blur into double --

\-- Yuuri, Victor, the rink, the crowd --

\-- flashes of sparkling blue eyes --

\-- of big brown eyes and then --

\-- there's an explosion of a headache and a --

\-- burst of light --

\-- before the world steadies itself again.

 

It leaves Victor looking down into big, brown eyes. Black hair that's slightly askew. A cute nose and rounded cheeks.

Yuuri's hands are still on his face. They're trembling in a way they hadn't been just a moment ago when they were still Victor's.

"Yuuri, you have no idea. My soulmate is so, so beautiful." Victor's heart is aching.

"Victor?" It's Yuuri's own voice this time, own accent. And Victor's going to get to hear Yuuri say his name just like that for a lifetime.

He grabs Yuuri's waist and kisses him again.

He can hear the roar of a crowd in the distance. He doesn't care. He gets to have this. He pulls Yuuri closer.

 

 _One hour later_  
_Iceberg Skating Palace, Sochi, Russia_

"So, rumor is you've both been disqualified from the competition," one of the reporters says.

Yuuri twists to look up at Victor. Victor hasn't stopped smiling since they switched back on the ice. He also hasn't stopped touching Yuuri. Like right now. Even as they have at least four cameras trained on them, Victor is hugging him from behind, arms tight around Yuuri's waist and fingers tangled together.

Yuuri's beginning to wonder less and less if Victor won't want to stay with him. It's hard to hold onto doubts when Victor's told him at least fifteen times how lucky he is, and how beautiful Yuuri is.

"It's not a rumor, it's official. We've both been disqualified," Victor tells them proudly.

"Perhaps you could comment as to why, then?"

"I'd be happy to," Victor says. Yuuri feels him rest his chin on his shoulder. "Yuuri Katsuki here is my soulmate."

There's a buzz among the reporters.

"Is it true, then, that you experienced the Switch and skated your routines as each other?" another reporter asks.

"What was it like skating in someone else's body?"

"How do you feel about giving up your chances of a fifth consecutive gold at the Grand Prix Final?"

"What are your plans for the rest of the season?"

"That's an easy one," Victor says. Yuuri frowns up at him. He wouldn't think so. They haven't had a chance to talk about anything like that. But Victor trains in St Petersburg and he trains in Detroit. They live half a world away from each other and they're going to compete in entirely different competitions. That's assuming Yuuri even makes it past Nationals and, with how he performed here in Sochi, that's far from a given.

"I'll be beside Yuuri as his coach when he gets gold at the World Championships!" Victor announces.

"What?" Yuuri asks, stunned, over the murmurs of reporters.

But Victor just squeezes his arms around him. "Let's go get khinkali!"

"We're in the middle of an interview," Yuuri reminds him. "And since when are you my coach?"

Victor has already dragged him almost as far as the front doors by then, though.

"And, also," Yuuri can't help but point out. "The banquet starts in less than an hour."

"Does that mean you don't want to go on a date with me?" Victor turns to Yuuri with a pout.

Yuuri rolls his eyes as he tries not to smile. Victor is, in many ways, nothing like he had imagined. And yet so much better.

"Victor," Yuuri asks him seriously. "Will you be my date to the GPF banquet?"

"Only if you agree that I'm your coach," Victor says without missing a beat.

 

 _One month later_  
_Ice Castle, Hasetsu, Japan_

"Try again," Victor tells him.

"I can't do it," Yuuri pants, after his uncountable failed attempt at properly landing a quad flip.

"I did it in your body, remember?"

"Yes, but you're Victor Nikiforov," Yuuri grumbles.

"And you're Yuuri Katsuki," Victor tells him and pokes him in the shoulder. "I've felt what your body can do, remember? You're going to be the first to land a quad axel."

"Can I work on those, then?" Yuuri asks desperately.

"Yuuri, what will people say about me as a coach if you do a quad axel before a flip?"

 

 _Three months later_  
_Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan_

Yuuri crosses his arms around himself, leaning forward. He's nervous enough he feels like he could throw up. Even Victor, draped over his back with his arms hugging him tight around his shoulders, aren't the comfort they usually are. Victor's murmuring something in his ear that Yuuri can't understand.

"We have Yuuri Katsuki's scores! His free skate score is 218.24! His total score is 322.73! Yuuri Katsuki is in first place!"

Yuuri is still staring numbly up at the scoreboard when Victor jerks him up by his arms, whirls him around and kisses him. It's probably a more passionate kiss than should be allowed in public, let alone on TV. But this wouldn't be the first time they'd gotten censored.

"What was that for?" Yuuri asks him.

"You're in first place."

"Yes?"

"You won," Victor says.

"But--"

"You're the last skater."

"Oh," Yuuri says, dazed. "I won."

"You won gold," Victor confirms with a cheeky grin. "That means you have to marry me."

"Right--wait, what?"

"Oh, did I forget to ask you?" Victor strokes a hand through Yuuri's hair. "You know how forgetful I am. Well, in any case, we were going to get married if you won gold."

"Uh, Victor? I think I can only deal with one revelation at a time right now," Yuuri says.

"We'll need some time to plan the wedding, but the medal ceremony's in a few minutes. Maybe you should deal with that one first."

"Right," Yuuri says faintly. Then shakes his head. "I won World's."

"Yes," Victor confirms, eyes glinting in amusement.

Yuuri looks at Victor for a long moment, then tells him, "Our rings should be gold."

"Naturally," Victor agrees.


End file.
